But he was a complete non entity for most of last night. Mascherano and Agger and Pennant played their hearts out. As did Kuyt, but he always does. The rest of the team were fairly pointless, to be honest.

He as good as single-handedly won the CL for them in 2005 and has kept them in their elevated league position since. He had an average game last night, but so did most folk. You can't doubt the guys quality.

'extraordinarily poor season'? Played a big part in getting Liverpool to Champions League final (not saying he did it single handedly), has made double figures for goals again despite being played out of position nearly the whole season.

He hasn't been as good as 2005-06, but then nobody, barring Ronaldo and Drogba, has.

So Dudek saved the pens but you know what I mean. It was Gerrard's influence both as a goalscoring midfielder and as an inspirational captain which got them to the final and then turned things around during that match...

I don't like the guy or his club but it's not difficult to appreciate how good a player he is and relative to Lampard he's been sublime for england.

and I kept my maxim of not swearing at the screen. However when we lost I was heard to utter to three extortionately happy AC fan girls who were shouting ITALIA ITALIA ITALIA in my face: "Oh shut up, you would've changed sides if you started losing, like you did in both world wars."

I believe in support and banter, but not to the point where you're shouting cunt at the top of your voice whenever an opposition player gets the ball. And to be honest, I probably did swear last night, but not unnecessarily.

that there is a core of Liverpool's hardcore fanbase - about 2,000 / 3,000 - that despises Gerrard. It all derives from the fact that it looked like Gerrard was going to leave Liverpool after the 2005 final. I think in the eyes of some he has never been forgiven, fucking weirdos.